“It’s as if we each have within us a collection of people of various ages, temperaments, and talents who, when they aren’t burdened by the past or fighting with one another, can assist in any activity.” – 5/5 stars!

A highly accessible introduction to a therapeutic approach that brings our inner “parts” into harmony and allows our core Self to lead We’re all familiar with self-talk, self-doubt, self-judgment—yet most of us still view ourselves as if we have one uniform mind. Dr. Richard Schwartz’s breakthrough was recognizing that we each contain an “internal family” of distinct parts—and that treating these parts with curiosity, respect, and empathy vastly expands our capacity to heal. Over the past two decades, Internal Family Systems (IFS) has transformed the practice of psychotherapy. With Introduction to Internal Family Systems, the creator of IFS presents the ideal layperson’s guide for understanding this empowering, effective, and non-pathologizing approach to self-discovery and healing. Here, Dr. Schwartz shares evidence, case studies, and self-care tools to help • Shift from the limiting “mono-mind” paradigm into an appreciation of your marvelous, multidimensional nature• Unburden your wounded parts from extreme beliefs, emotions, and addictions• Demystify the most commonly misunderstood parts—the Exiles, Managers, and Firefighters• Transform your most challenging parts from inner obstacles to invaluable allies• Embrace the existence of innate human goodness—in yourself and others• Connect with the true Self that is greater than the sum of your parts “The most wonderful discovery I have made is that as you do this work, you release, or liberate, what I call your Self or your True Self—the calm, compassionate essence of who you are,” says Dr. Schwartz. “When the Self becomes the leading intelligence in our lives, we create more harmony—both within ourselves and in our external lives.” For therapists, their clients, and anyone interested in understanding and healing themselves, here is an essential guide to a revolutionary approach to self-realization, mental wellness, and transformation.

I’m familiar with IFS, but I wanted to learn more, so this seemed the perfect book to read on the subject! I wanted to learn more because it’s been a surprisingly powerful tool in finding more about myself and resolving internal conflicts.
So what is this book about? It explores a model in psychology that explores the self as a family of different internal parts. Meaning that each one of us has different parts inside us that can have manager roles, some parts are exiled (parts of us that we try to cover or ignore), and other parts are the firefighters (the parts that work as quick fixers).
The author, who created this model, says that to fully heal, we should embrace and be curious about all our parts because they all have a purpose in trying to protect us.
I feel like it was easier for me to follow up with the book since I’m already familiar with the concept, but I think the book is very well structured and presented, and uses accessible language. I also believe the examples presented by the author’s patients were insightful and contributed to better explaining the concept. This is a book focused on the “basics” of IFS, so if you are new to Internal Family Systems, this is a great book to understand the model. Definitely worth checking out!